William gabdneb



(No Model.)

W. GARDNER.

BREEGH LOADER,

Patented July 24, 1883.

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Jnveflor Willzdm fiardnen I51 7 I I Q I k Nrinn STATES WILLIAM GARDNER, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

BREECH- LOADER.

SPECIFICATIQNLforming part of Letters Patent No. 281,862, dated July 24, 1883.

Application filed February 3,1883. (No model.) Patented in Germany November 1.1852; in France November 13. I882; in England November 22,1882,No. 5,556. and in Austria November 28,1882.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM GARDNER, of London, England, have invented new and use ful Improvements in Breech-Loading Guns, (for which I have obtained a patent in Great Britain, No. 5,556, bearing date November 22, 1882; also a. patent applied for in Germany November 1, 1882; a patent applied for in France November 13, 1882,-and a patent applied for in Austria'November 28, 1882,) of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in breech-loading guns, and is designed to provide means for insuring the highest possible speed in firing.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents the gun in longitudinal vertical section with breech-bolt being advanced. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of. the same, showing the breech-bolt drawn back. Fig. 3 is a part longitudinal horizontal section of the same. Fig. 4 is a rear view. Fig. 5 is a section at A B, Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a section at O D, Fig. 3. Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10 are details.

The gun consists of four principal partsthe barrel A, the receiver B, the breech-bolt C, and the cartridge-feeder D. The rifled barrel contains in its rear part the cartridgechamber a, which is tightly screwed into the receiver. The receiver is of peculiar shape. The fore part, into which the barrel is screwed, is round and carries the trunnions. The rear part is also round. Both the said round parts are connected by two parallel bars, I) and b, Fig. 5.

In the rear round part of the receiver is pivoted on the pin 0 the cartridge-feeder D, Figs.

1, 2, and 5. This feeder is provided with a hook, d, at the top and with a projection, f, at the bottom. The shape of both exactly corresponds to the diameter of the head of the cartridge. 'The cartridge is inserted by hand into the feeder. When the breech-bolt C is pushed forward, the roller g of the feeder restsupon it, and when the breech-bolt is drawn back the feeder drops as far as the stop h'in the receiver permits, and thereby allows the cartridge to fall between the two. bars I) b.

. k, Figs. 2 and '5, of the two bars I) b.

The space between the bars is equal to the largest diameter of the cartridge-body, butthe bars are rounded out according to the diameter of the head of the cartridge in line with the axis of the bore. The groove t, Figs. 2 and 5, in both bars enables the cartridge to fall until the axis of the projectile is in line with the axis of the bore. By pushing forward the breech-bolt the feeder is again lifted until it occupies its-former position upon the breechbolt, and the cartridge is pushed forward into the cartridge-chamber of the barrel. After a shot has been fired the empty cartridge-case, on withdrawing the breech-bolt, is drawn back by the extractor E until it reaches the grolcives ere the flanged head of the cartridge loses its support and the cartridge-case falls out of the receiver, while, by reason of the feeder D falling at the same time, a fresh cartridge is fed into the receiver.

The extractor E, Figs. 3 and 9, has a lug, I, which lies in the groove of the breech-bolt. It is provided on its fore end with the hook a, and is pressed against the periphery of the breech-bolt by the spring 0, so as to engage with the head or flange of the cartridge-case. The extractor is pivoted at the end I, so as to allow the hook at an outward movement equal to the width of the flange of the cartridgecase, and the extractor and spring are guided The operation of the extractor can be clearly seen from the drawings.

The breech-bolt 0 forms the breech-closure of the barrel. For this purpose it is provided with the screw-thread q. The corresponding female screw-thread is situated in the box 1, in the rear round part of the receiver B, Figs. 1, 2. 3, and 6. The screw-thread in the receiver, and also that on the breech-bolt, is cut away, as shown in Figs.-2, 3, 6, and 9, in order to enable the pushing forward and drawing backward of the breech-bolt in the receiver. A sixth of a turn then effects the closure. For the effectual guidance of the breech-bolt within the receiver the screw 8 is provided, which enters inacorresponding groove, t, of the brceclr in a groove, p, of the receiver, Figs. 2 and bolt, Fig. 10. The turning of the breech-boltin order to execute the closure of the breech is effected by the handles F and the screws u and u, that are screwed into the hub of the handles.

By turning thehandles the cocking of the firingpin G, lying within the breech-bolt, is eflected in the following manner-that is to say: Upon the firing-pin is screwed the guide-piece v. This latter passes through aslot, v, forming a rectangle in the side of the breech-bolt, and is 10 guided in theextractor-groove p, and is there by prevented from turning. The spiral spring '40 presses the firing-pin forward. The rear end of the firing-pin extends through the bottom w of the handle-hub, and is provided with other. n the bottom piece, av, is fixed a campiece, z, which has two inclined planes, 2 and z, Figs. 1, 3, 7, and 8. By a third of a turn of the handles F, or of 'the cam-piece 2, both pins 3 and y are brought upon the inclined planes z and z, and the trigger-slide b", al-

ways pressed upward by the spring a, can catch in the notch j of the firing-'pin,- thereby retaining it in the cocked position. The twoscrews u and u, which are screwed in thehub of the handle F, and on the turning of the bandle effect the moving of the breech-bolt, extend with their points into two grooves, d d, on the periphery of 'the breech-bolt, Figs. 1 and 8. These grooves are of such length .that the screws u and u only reach the ends of the grooves after a third of a turn of the handle,. and then only after a further sixth of a turn move the breech-bolt along with them and thereby open the breech. The trigger-slide; b" is moved downward by a pressure of the hand, thereby the cocked firing-pin becomes free, springs forward, and explodes the .cartridge. 40 The succession of theoperati'ons above described is as follows- -that is to say: The gun is loaded, the breech-bolt pushed forward, the

' firing-pin cocked, and the feeder provided with a cartridge. Pressure is placed upon the trigger-slide, thereby releasing the firing-pin and firing the cartridge. A third of a turn to the left is given to the handle, whereby the firing- I pin is again cocked. -A-further sixth of a turn .is given to the handle, (so that the said handle now has made a half-turn in all,) thereby loosening the closure of the breech-bolt.- V The breech-bolt is drawn back, .at ".the same time. retracting the empty'cartridge-case and inserting a fresh cartridge by the feeder in the receiver. 'The breech-bolt is pushed forward,- thereby inserting the cartridge into the car; tridge-chamber of the barrel. the right is given to the handle, thereby eflecting the closure and the insertion of a fresh car;- tridgeinto the feeder. I

, vThat I claim isi' 1. Inabr eech-loading gun,

with the receiver composed of, front and portions joined by. separated bars, of a car'- 6 5 tr'idgefeederlocated on top of the rear portion the two pins y and 3/, standing opposite eaclf' Halfa turn'to' witnesses.

the combination,

of the receiver and adapted to swing down be-. tween thebarsto insert the cartridge therein in line with the barrel, substantially as described.

2. In ableech-loading gun, the combination, with the receiver composed of front and rear 7c portions joined by separated. bars, of a eartridge-feeder pivoted at one end directly tothe top of the rear portion of the receiver, and having its free end arranged to swing down hetween the bars to introduce the mrtridge'be; 71 tween the same, and a longitudinal movable breech-bolt which elevates the feeder when 1111- vanced and permits the feeder to drop when retracted, substantially as described. e V,

3. In a breech-loading gun, the combination, with the receiver composed of front andfrear portions joined by separated bars, of a -car tridge-feeder having its rear end pivoted-on the top of the rear portion of the receiver and its forward free end-provided with a roller and a hook and projection, said free endbeing "1 adapted to swing down betweenthebarsto introduce the cartridge between the same, anda longitudinally-movable breech-bolt provided I with afiring-pin which extends through the 9C rear end of the bolt, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. V The combination, with the receiver B; having a longitudinal groove, 1;,- of the longi: tudinally-rnovable breech-bolt O, constructed with the exterior groove, t, and the right-ans gilled slot 0 vat or-near the center of its'leng'th,

e spring-impelled firing-pin G, having a; guide-piece, v, projecting through the right: L 1 ,angled slot of the boft into the groove of the to receiver, and a pin, 8, secured to the receiver and adapted t0 the groove in the bolt, sub. stantially as descri 5. The combination, with the receiver Band i barrel A, of the l0ngitudinal1y-sliding and ro- 1o tating breech-bolt 0, provided at its rear end with grooves d d, a longitudinally-movable firing-pin located in the breech-bolt, ahub at ranged over the end of the breech-boltand provided with a handle by which to rotate it, 1.1 and pins or screws c'u, securedto-the hub and extending into the grooves at the rear end of the breech-bolt, and means connecting the hub withthe'firing-pin for cocking the latter,fsub-- stantially as described.

6. The combination, with the receiver B and attached barrel A, of the; -breech-bolt C,'pr0- vided at its rear with a rotating hub havinga handle, F,'trigger-slide b, and interiorly pro- 5f vided withiinclines ziz, and the firing-ping, '12 having at its'rear end the lateral pins 1 il dz notchj, substantiallyes described. Intestimony whereof Ihavehereuntosig'ned my name in the presence of two .wmm

'Witn: V JOHN TrKNowms w, 

